Bethel pulls off stunner
In an overtime thriller, Bethel Park shocked the defending Class 6A PIAA Champion Blue Devils by a score of 27-24.
Bob Palko’s team is still winless in their title defense this season.
After the Blue Devils jumped out to a 14-0 lead thanks to Nathan Sala’s 76-yard touchdown run, it seemed like Mt. Lebanon would pull away. But Bethel Park running back Austin Caye had other ideas, scoring three consecutive touchdowns, putting the Blackhawks up 21-14. Caye carried the ball 36 times for 151 yards.
Blackhawks freshman quarterback Tanner Pfeuffer plunged in the end zone from a yard out in overtime, pushing Bethel Park to 20 on the season.
More Class 5A
Penn Hills 26, Norwin 7: The Indians were led by quarterback Julian Dugger, who threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns. Raion Strader opened the scoring for Penn Hills with a pick six. Jackson Pons was Norwin’s lone touchdown scorer.
Gateway 21, Woodland Hills 0: Gateway quarterback Brad Birch threw for 293 yards last week but did much of his damage on the ground against the Wolverines, rushing for two scores. Chris Livsey picked off a pass and took it 48-yards for a score to add on the exclamation point for the Gators.
Upper St. Clair 37, North Hills 7: Upper St. Clair running back Jamaal Brown picked up where he left off last week, rushing for a 28yard touchdown to open the scoring. Julian Dahlem threw for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Panthers pulled away.
Peters Township 30, Seneca Valley 27: Following a 56-0 win over Fox Chapel last week, the Indians went on the road and took down the No. 2 team in 6A as an encore. Chris Cibrone threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns, with Carter Shanafelt being the recipient of three of them. Wyatt Carver led the Raiders, rushing for 127-yards and a touchdown. Joe Bedillion connected on a 37-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining to give the Indians the win.
Hempfield 49, Connellsville 0: Like last week, the Spartans continued to ride their workhorse. Gino Caesar’s four touchdowns pushed Hempfield to 2-0 on the season as the Spartans outgained the Falcons by a whopping 449 yards.
Shaler 28, Hampton 24: Shaler came away victorious in the Route 8 Rivalry by scoring 21 straight points in the fourth quarter. Shaler running back Luke Cignetti scored three touchdowns in the final 6:12 — including two touchdowns in the span of 24 seconds — willing the Titans to victory.
Pine Richland 33, Kiski 0: After being blanked last week, Pine Richland head coach Jon LeDonne picked up his first win with the school. Ryan Palmieri and Ethan Pillar scored touchdowns for the Rams.
Plum 28, Fox Chapel 13: Plum’s two headed monster at running back proved to be too much for the Foxes. Eryck Moore carried the ball 18 times for 142 yards and a score. Nick Odom followed up his 205-yard performance last week by rushing for two scores, powering the Mustangs. Class 6A North Allegheny 35, Canon
McMillan 21: In Tri-County Five Conference action, Austin Gavlik rushed for three touchdowns, propelling the Tigers to victory. North Allegheny got out to a 27-0 lead, but the Big Macs stormed back, scoring 21 unanswered. CanonMcMillan quarterback Mike Evans found Austyn Winkleblech on two touchdown passes in just 14 seconds but would eventually fall short.
Central Catholic 35, Abraham Lincoln 22: The Vikings picked up their first win of the season at the Wolvarena on Friday night.
Meadville 21, Butler 14: Mac Schnur’s 15-yard rushing touchdown got the Golden Tornado on the board late in the third quarter, but it wasn’t enough as Butler failed to convert various golden opportunities. Meadville’s Amarri Lewis intercepted a pass and took it 95-yards for a score which stood as the difference maker.